"I spent my year abroad on a placement as an Admin Assistant at the telecommunications company Alcatel (now Alcatel-Lucent). Working within this international company allowed me to meet people from all over the world.

My original placement was for 8 months but I extended it to 11 months as I didn't want to leave. I lived in the centre of Paris during my stay and fell in love with the city.

My year abroad gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in French life, gain a working knowledge of the French language, and gave me a year’s invaluable work experience. I made friends during my year in Paris who I know will be friends for life.

After graduating I immediately found a job in Paris as a PA in a law firm. Without having had a year abroad I would not have been considered for this job.

With the economic climate making finding employment so difficult, having a year abroad on your CV is a clear advantage. A year abroad allows students to gain real work experience and the opportunity to become fluent in their chosen language which just isn’t possible in a classroom.

After my year abroad I returned to my final year of university with more confidence and with a real passion for the French Language and life in France! Paris now feels like a second home to me and I am so grateful I was lucky enough to have the chance to experience a year abroad."